


quarantine

by ParisOlympia



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017), The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hackle, Pining, Pre-Relationship, h/c, quarantine-fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23214787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParisOlympia/pseuds/ParisOlympia
Summary: Hecate is in quarantine and Ada cares for her. But then Ada disappears- can Hecate save the woman she is secretly in love with whilst being bound to her rooms?
Relationships: Amelia Cackle | Ada Cackle & Hardbroom, Amelia Cackle | Ada Cackle/Hardbroom
Comments: 30
Kudos: 62





	1. Day 1

Hecate paced from her window to her bed and back. She had been asleep the whole afternoon and now she felt like she had to move a bit. Even though it was just hours she was under quarantine, it proved to be more difficult than she had inicially thought. She had hoarded a couple of books to read but the Eris‘ touch had affected her more and more, keeping her from tackling complex titles like „Gathering day and night- a detailed description of variations in potion’s ingredients“ and „Ancient Ingredients- a compendium of knowledge (almost) lost during the Dark Ages“.

But even in her current state of weakness Hecate Hardbroom wasn’t one to be unoccupied. It was the first time in years she experienced boredom and she didn’t like it for her thoughts started to go astray and linger. Notably they lingered on the subject of her headmistress. Hecate pushed the thought away. Wishful thinking, she told herself. 

Internally Hecate scolded herself for having been uncautious and catching the disease in the first place. But gathering some unusual ingredients let her to the auld moor this morning. The crisp air and the quiet beauty of the ladscape made her feel jaunty and she was too invested gleaning the „lus-na-feàrnaich“, also known as sundew. 

The inconspicious plant was the reason she went out this day. Ada had asked her if she could recreate her fragrance as it was discontinued and she only had some drops left. It was quite a simple formula mixed with chamomilla, tea leaves and lillies and Hecate quickly got the right amout of each component. But she wanted to add something special and decided to give the liquid some colour. She settled on a purple tone, matching Ada’s favourite jumper. And that was what she needed the sundew for.

Hecate didn’t notice the mist emerging from one of the holes in the ground. There was a tale that witches had become insane being exposed to the mist for too long. But even the consequences of a shorter exposion were grave. 

It was only when she got up to stand on her feet again that she realised her mistake, feeling the dizziness and her body temperature changing between hot and cold. She then quickly went home, avoiding to transfer as the Eris‘ touch caused a kind of magical hiccup. The witch concerned lost control over her powers and the easiest spell could turn into a disastrous one, especially with powers as great as Hecate‘s. 

Luckily she met nobody as she returned to the castle by lunchtime, the infection was highly contagious and transmitted by droplet infection. She locked herself in her room after letting Morgana outside with a note for Ada and went to bed. 

Hecate was only quarantined for a few hours but she felt boredom and impatience growing with each second. She stared out of her window, trying to find the evening star in the dusky sky when she heard a faint knock. 

„Hecate- it’s me, Ada!“ sounded a soft voice from behind the door. 

Hecate rushed across the room, resting her hand against the worn wood. „I can’t open, not even to you. Especially not to you!“ 

„Yes I know. How are you?“ 

„I feel the Eris‘ touch, but apart from the normal symptoms nothing irregular.“ 

„Good. You would tell me, if it got worse, won’t you?“

„Of course I will.“

„Is there anything you need?“

Hecate imagined the sorrowful expression on Ada’s face, thought about the dark blue eyes she longed for and how much she wanted to be close to Ada. To reassure her that she was fine. But she was not. She pulled herself together, blaming the infection for her lack of control. „Nothing. I shall try to rest till it’s gone,“ she responded.

„I brought you a tray with something to eat and some things to liften your spirit! I will leave it at your doorstep.“ 

Oh lovely Ada. Hecate felt warmth growing inside her. It felt good to be in her care. Ada always made her feel special. But Ada was nice to everyone and Hecate didn’t want to hope for something she might never get. She only wished to be able to see her again when she rested her head against the door and muttered „Thank you“. 

„I’ll look after you tomorrow,“ Ada’s voice was very clear, her head just as close to the wood as Hecate‘s. 

Hecate’s hand grazed over the wood as she listened to the fading steps in the hallway and tried hard not to think about Ada‘s cat shaped slippers. When everything was silent again she opened the door and brought the tray inside. 

She smiled as it was so unmistakingly Ada’s signature. There was a small vase with flowers from the garden- the peonies they admired a few days ago when they discussed some adjustments to the gardening curriculum. Hecate stroked the pink petals and her eyes grew soft at the memory of the brief moment their hands touched that afternoon. She wondered if it had been a deliberate move from Ada, but pushed that thought away quickly. Life had taught her that hope was a hurtful thing.

Hecate’s eyebrows shot up as she saw one of Ada’s novels next to a bowl of fruit salad and bisquits. Ada knew Hecate didn’t read fictional works. Why would she have left it there, Hecate wondered as she let her fingers slip through the pages. She found a note between the pages, written in Ada’s beautiful curly handwriting. 

„My dear Hecate, I know you don’t touch these kinds of books under normal circumstances. But as the circumstances are not normal, I thought you might want something lighthearted. Feel free to leave it if you don’t like it. Get well soon! Yours. Truely. Ada“ 

Hecate retraced the writing with her fingers, not able to control her smile. The excitement made her suddenly feel dizzy and she had to lay down again. She only woke up several hours later, her stomach growling.

Hecate sat up and ate some of the fruit salad and bisquits. Though her body seemed to be still infested with the Eris‘ touch, she felt a little better. She picked up the novel Ada had chosen, eyed the intricate cover illustration of a dark haired knight girl and a dragon and turned it to read the back. Apparently, it was the story about a young witch that became a knight to free her witch friend. Hecate decided to give it a try. She would have never admitted to be a curious person, but she hoped to find something inside that told her something about Ada. Much to her surprise Hecate found the reading quite captivating.


	2. day 2

Hecate must have fallen asleep reading, as she woke up the next morning with the open book under her hand. She hadn’t slept well, a nightmare had invaded her dreams. It had all begun well, with Ada in one of those wonderfully light dresses she only wore during the summer holidays. When Hecate had first seen her in one of these she was utterly speechless. They were not revealing in the proper sense of the word, but Hecate had to process the fact the she was finally able to see Ada’s forearms. It was a rather awkward breakfast they spent in the kitchen, with Hecate trying to avoid looking at Ada, unable to form a complete sentence, inwardly cursing herself for her lack of composure.

In her dream, Ada was somehow taken away. She didn’t remember how, only that it was upon Hecate to find her and rescue her from an obscure unnamed danger. The summer sky turned into a thunderstorm and Hecate, albeit walking, wasn’t able to move forward. Hecate tried as hard as she could, she tried to use her magic to stop the storm- all in vain. She rammed her fingernails into the ground trying to fight against the raging air, but it was useless. She had woken from that feeling of distressed helplessness.

Hecate sat up in her bed. Dark circles showed under her eyes. Perhaps this wasn’t such a light reading after all, she thought as she put a black ribbon between the pages and put the book on her nightstand. She tried to get up, but sat back on the edge of her bed, instantly feeling the dizzyness in her head. She had hoped the Eris‘ touch would be gone by now. Hadn’t she been so weak, she would have been very bugged by it all.

A sudden knock on the door made her heart flutter- Ada! „Oi, HB- how is it goin‘?“ Ugh, Dimity Drill… 

„According to the circumstances,“ she answered.

„I’m dropping you some breakfast- Tapioca‘s porridge to get you back on track!“

Hecate rolled her eyes. That would have been the last thing she missed. She only ate it to give a good example for the girls. „Don’t bother!“ she muttered.

„Well, I leave it here- have to go to my class. Bye HB!“

And there she was again. Alone. In her bed in the middle of the day when she should be up and teaching. What a complete waste of time. Hecate had already lifted her hand in the air when she stopped abruptly. She gazed at her hand with startled eyes. That didn’t feel like her magic. Oh bats! She had almost casted a spell to open the door and bring in the tray- she quickly hid her hand under the blanket. With the Eris‘ touch this could have become a disaster. She could have conjured a magic fireball or worse. 

How all of this was annoying! With an expression of greatest disdain, she slowly got up on her feet, held to the frame of her bed until the dizzyness became bearable and walked, yes, she had to walk, to the door to get the tray. The tray with the uneatable porridge. How could this become any worse? 

Sitting at her table she eyed the dish of greyish goo in front of her. That feeling of helplessness came back to her. It constricted her heart. Her body stiffened. And if something was clenching her body she was unable to breathe. With her last clear thought she managed to get back to her bed before falling over. 

Breathe, just breathe. She looked at peonies and imagined Ada was at her side, calming her, holding her hand. It wasn’t easy as every breath hurt and her head ached tremendously. But she breathed. Never before had she felt so weak. What remained of her, now that she was stripped from her magic? Tears filled her eyes. What if she could never use her magic again? Or should she use it regardless the danger? Her rampant sobbing was aggravating her breathing again. She was suffocating, maybe it was for the best. Maybe she was defeated by the Eris' touch. Better than loosing her mind. But her eyes fell on the peonies. No, she wanted to live. Slowly she calmed down again and slipped back to sleep.

She didn’t hear Ada’s light knock on the door a few hours later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! all mistakes are mine (non-native speaker here), I hope you don't mind.  
> Let me know if you like it so far and thanks to everyone who wants to leave a kudo!


	3. day 3

When Hecate woke again it was night. Her breathing was lighter now, almost back to normal. She sat up and lighted her lamp, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders. She stretched out her right hand and watched her fingers moving slowly. It was still there. That strange uncontrollable magic. Her lips thinned.

„Hecate?“ sounded Ada’s voice from behind the door.

How she had longed for her! „Ada! Why are you still awake? It’s the middle of the night.“

„I was worried when you didn’t answer. So I installed a surveillance bat outside your window to see how you’re doing. You were asleep and I thought it would be best to let you. I hope you don’t mind. I will take it off immediately if you want me to.“

„I’m- I’m fine.“

„Are you feeling better?“

„I don’t feel worse.“ Your peonies saved my life, she wanted to add.

„Good to hear. Are there potions you need? Is there anything I can get you to soothe the symptoms? I was reading all day, but it seems there is still no cure for the Eris‘ touch.“

Hecate hesitated. „Maybe- maybe you could get me more flowers?“

There was a silence behind the door. „Anything in particular?“

„You decide, Ada.“ Her voice was warm and deep and her eyes soft. She could have never said it like that in Ada’s face, but the door created a safe distance. She hoped it toned down those embarassing feelings she wasn’t able to repress.

„Rest a little. I will leave you a tray in the morning. Get well soon, Hecate!“

Hecate looked thankfully to the door, her lips forming a silent „Thank you, Ada“ but her eyes were saying more.

In the morning Ada was in a hurry. But as Hecate brought in the tray she was overwhelmed by the exorbitant bouquet Ada had arranged. Roses, peonies, freesia, lillies… Little drops of morning mist on the petals. No blooming flower in the garden must have been save from Ada. The colours ranged from an almost white rosé to a deep dark pink and reminded Hecate so much of Ada’s favorite jumpers it made her laugh. It was the first time in days.

And Ada hadn’t forgotten Hecate’s physical well-being. She found some sliced oranges and oatmeal cookies on the tray. There was also a small note saying „The bat will check on you hourly, as I will unfortunably be busy the whole day. If you want me to turn it off, please inform Miss Tapioca who will take care of the tray. Get well soon! Ada“ Hecate tried not to be deceived as Ada hadn’t written „Yours. Truely.“ But she scolded herself childish and ate the fruit and the cookies.

During the day she had nothing to do, but it was much more bearable. She finished the book, that luckily ended well (she didn’t expect anything else from a novel recommended by Ada) and occasionly scanned herself if the Eris‘ touch still affected her. It did. Hecate couldn’t decide wether the effects began to fade or if it was due to the bouquet that she felt better. 

She marveled at these generous flowers, such a perfect picture of Ada. Their enticing fragrance filling the room… Perfume! She could work on it- there were some non-magical steps to be done.   
The lus-na-feàrnaich had dried on Hecate‘s window ledge. She put it into a small mortar and pestled it. The dust was then dissolved in some water and distilled (it proved her right to always have some basic ingredients and utensils near) and a beautiful rich violet built in the small vial. Everything took much longer with no magic involved, but it turned out right. She poured the sundew-solution into the small bottle of perfume and moved it slowly to mix the liquids. The scent of Ada filled the room. Hecate took it in. The longing built up in her again, but she couldn’t let go. It was so soothing for her lungs… When she had finished the process, she placed the bottle outside the door along with Ada’s book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for making it to the end of chapter 3! I hope you like it so far!


	4. day 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somehow this chapter turned out really saddening and a bit dark, but I promise the next one will be lighter. (If you're not in the mood for a dark chapter, just wait till the next is posted!)

„Hecate, wake up.“ She slowly opened her eyes to the blurry vision of Ada. Ada. Beautiful Ada, in one of those incredibly thin summer dresses, a warm smile on her lips. „There you are. You recovered, dear.“ Ada’s hand cupped her face, her thumb tenderly stroking her cheek. „Shh, don’t get all upset. You still have to rest a bit.“

„Of course,“ Hecate replied obediently. She didn’t dare to move, fearing to interrupt the caresses. 

And then, like in slow motion, Ada leaned down eyes closed and kissed her cheek. Hecate felt her heart bursting with joy. „It feels like a dream,“ she muttered.

She wanted to reach out for Ada when something shifted. Ada laughed. „Well it is!“ Ada’s voice sounded different now. Sour like vinegar. It was Agatha’s voice. „How could you assume someone like Ada would reciprocate your feelings? She is untouchable. Sweet, generous, indulgent, yes. But she lives for her school, she won’t commit. Not to one single person. Her heart is just too big for one single witch. Especially for an unworthy one like you, Hecate. What could you possibly give her? Your awkwardness? Your pusillanimity? That incapable heart of yours? Your hope is ridiculous, think about it. Poor Ada would be so sorry knowing of your feelings. Picture how she would pity you- pity is all you can get from her. Emotions are not your métier, Hecate. You are a genius when it comes to potions- stick with that!“

„Stick with that!“ it resounded within her when she woke up. She was all sweaty and hot. No need to test if the Eris‘ touch was still infesting her magic- she could feel it clearly. And she couldn’t bear it anymore. 

Hecate had always prided herself not to refrain from difficulties, even if physical hardship was to be expected. She didn’t complain when things got tough. She got things done. „A witch does not whine, a witch makes things go her way,“ that was the motto she learned from her very childhood, and it has been her leitmotiv all along. But this was worse than anything she had ever to endure. Another day in this room, deprived of everything she held dear. She hated herself. Stripped of her magic she was nothing. An incapable woman past her prime, incapable to love. How she was disgusted by herself. She reached into the dawer in her nightstand, took a small vial and took a generous sip. Her body sank immediately onto her bed.

If Hecate had gotten up, she would have seen the tray Ada had left outside her door. She would have seen the letter Ada had written last night after she had discovered the bottle of perfume Hecate had crafted. She would have read the lines Ada had left when she was overwhelmed by Hecate’s gift. That Ada considered Hecate her friend, her closest confidante and that she was more that grateful for everything Hecate was to her. But that over the years her feelings had evolved and that she hoped maybe Hecate would see something more that in friend in her as well. But Hecate was sound asleep.

She only woke hours later from voices on the corridor and fists hammering on the door. „Hecate! I will lift the protection spell now and come in!“

She sat up, her head still aching and her mouth dry, but she was clear in her head. „Don’t! I’m fine,“ she answered.

„Hecate! You are awake? How are you? You took a potion! That was utterly thoughtless!“

„I’m fine.“ She reached for the glass of water on her nightstand.

„How do you feel?“ Even through the door she could make out the worry in Ada’s voice.

„I’m worried I'm going insane. One should think the disease causes amentia, but I guess it rather comes from the isolation.“ She sat back with a frustrated moan.

Apparently they were discussing something outside the door, Hecate couldn’t hear what they were saying. Then they were leaving.

„Hecate?“ it was Ada’s voice. „I sent them away. We were so terribly worried. You didn’t touch your tray and then, when I looked after you with the bat I saw one of your vials next to you. And you looked so pale. I feared…“ Ada fell silent.

Hecate wrapped her blanket around her body and slowly approached the door, letting herself glide down the wooden frame.

„I did not take this into consideration. It was a mere sleeping potion, it didn’t come to my mind that this as well, is magic. You must think I’m a fool.“

Ada's voice lost the shrill undertone of concern when she answered. „I would never. You are a witch inside and out, magic has always been natural for you. I’m glad it didn’t harm you.“

„Could I ask you a favour, Ada?“

„Anything.“

„Could you tell me how it is going? The monthly depenses report is due. And I gave the first years an essay on the eye of newt- maybe you can collect it, I can easily do the marking. And Theodora Tenebris has had detention…“

And so, Ada recounted every little thing that had happened these last few days. That she had already tackled the report, that Dimity had taken care of the detention. The mishap during Gwen‘s chanting lessons when the girls had summoned a- very small- tornado instead of a light summer breeze. And that some fourth years had pranked Miss Tapioca by building an animated scarecrow that looked like her and didn’t let her near the compost. Tears ran down Hecate’s cheeks, but the sound of Ada’s voice made her calm. And Ada recounted and recounted untill Hecate was fast asleep, her head resting against that damn door, traces of crusted salt on her face. When Ada left, her hand crumpled the letter she had slipped inside her pocket and she called herself a selfish old witch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you think of it!
> 
> (I edited the name of the student- somehow my lazy brain could only come up with "Bella Hempnettle"... Now, with the help of a witch name generator, we have a better name!)


	5. day 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As I promised, and as we all need after the latest episode, a fluffier and happier chapter.

Hecate woke up cowering on the floor, but a deep dreamless sleep had left her refreshed. She decided she had to get rid of the stickiness and the traces of yesterday’s despair and so she prepared a bath in her little adjacent bathroom. She even found a small bottle of oil she had crafted without magic. It wasn’t so bad- a smell of orange blossoms and jasmine. 

When she finally felt the warm water soothing her body- it was incredibe how long it took to fill a tub with water without magic- Hecate stretched out her hand to see if she could still feel the Eris‘ touch. With great relief she noticed that the effect had lessend considerably. She felt much better indeed. And she was aware that much of it was due to the fact Ada sitting with her last night, reassuring her that everything was in order outside. Hecate was grateful for their friendship, the trust and understanding they had built during the years. And she was resoved to not let Ada worry again. She scolded herself for being weak, succumbing to her fears. She would be a perfect patient from now on. She would focus on her recovery. The illness couldn’t last much longer, given how she felt today.

But, oh, these mundane little tasks she had to perform. It was incredibly time consuming to dry oneself with a towel, and yet one still felt damp afterwards. She took a fresh black robe and let her hair loose over a towel she had put on her shoulders. It might take the whole day to let it air dry, but she surely had the time. As she eyed herself in the small mirror she noticed dark shadows under her eyes. The dread of the last days had left a trace. She went through the bottles and jars in her small cabinet but found nothing without magic in it. Then her gaze stopped at the small aloe vera plant in the window. She cut one of the branches and used it to moisturize her skin. Stange, how reassuring it could be to get along without the help of magic.

After breakfast, that was left on a tray outside her door as usual, she took the little letter that was stuck between the glass of orange juice and a thick slice of fruit cake. She smiled at the lavender envelope and Ada’s handwriting, the endearing little curls that fitted her elated nature so perfectly. She didn’t rush to open it, savouring the moment of not knowing what she had written. Imagining that maybe… No. No more shenanigans. She was grateful for Ada’s help and wouldn’t lose herself in childish day dreaming again. 

The letter was short, Ada thanked her for the bottle of perfume and informed her that she attended a meeting of witching academies at Amethyst‘s, not returning until late tonight. Dimity would bring her the essays. Hecate tried to ignore the little voice in her head that was deceived upon the shortness of the note. No, that was fine. Any other tone could have ignited her hope and she would not permit that. But she could return the favour and leave a handwritten message for Ada. She took a quill and some ink and started to write on the lilly-white paper emblazoned with her initials.

„Dear Ada, thank you for informing me of your whereabouts. Please forgive me yesterday‘s weakness. The isolation is harder to bear than I fathomed. I cannot thank you enough for the support you provide in these trying times. You are a great help. You always are, anytime. I’d like to thank you for tolerating my occasional harshness, for balancing my temper and for accepting my ways. I hope you see that I strive to improve myself. You are a force for good, Ada. Not only for the school, but also for me.“ 

Hecate sat back, looked at the paper and frowned. She had clearly been carried away. She couldn’t write that! And her handwriting was- awful, shaking and unsure like a child’s! She didn’t remember when was the last time she had written something by hand. Her magic handwriting was perfect but her hand seemed to have forgotten the movements. A knock on the door distracted her thoughts.

„It’s me, Dimity. Ada told me you wanted to improve your skills and asked for some elaborations on the eye of newt?“

Hecate rolled her eyes. She would never get what Dimity called her sense of humour. „Thank you Miss Drill, please leave them at the door.“

„Is it really that boring inside?“

„Quite.“

„Well, we all miss you- well, some more, some less. Nevermind, HB! The first years made you a card, you’ll see…“

„Thank you, I guess.“

„Are you feeling better today? Ada told me that I should check on you regularly…“

„That is very nice but completely unneccessary. I’m doing much better today and less visits shall improve my health considerably!“

Dimity stayed silent for a while. Then, with another tone in her voice she asked: „Do you miss us a little?“

„Some more, some less, Miss Drill.“ Hecate replied, but after a beat she added quietly: „You cannot imagine.“ Hecate noted with astonishment that she was quite touched by Dimity’s visit. Ridiculous, must be the isolation.

„I’ve never seen Ada so worried- she was reading everything about the Eris‘ touch these last days…“

„Why are you telling me this?“

„Oh HB, come on! I know how you look at her when she doesn’t notice.“

„I beg your pardon?“

„Alright. You’re both big witches. But to be honest, she has that same look about you!“

„Dimity Drill. I gather it is quite boring outside as well if you come up with such ruthless gossip! You shouldn’t talk about your headmistress like that!“

„O wowow! Alright, Miss Deputy Headmistress. I think I’ll leave you now.“

Hecate couldn’t keep her heart from pounding at Dimity’s implications. To steady herself she took the papers inside and sat back at her table. Work had always helped her to distract her. Distracted her from the way Ada brushed through her hair or the wonderful dimples that showed when she smiled… Eye of newt. Not a trying subject but the first years had certainly found a way to slaughter it.

The marking took her all day and left her exhausted. She wondered how ordinary teachers got along with this dreadful task. But she was pleased that her handwriting had improved and was now comparable to her magic writing. Maybe tomorrow she could take up the letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dimity as the love messenger (procuress?) is canon, right!?
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter! And thank you for reading, my dear!


	6. day 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> short mention of suicide and self-harm!

When Heacate woke up she lazily stretched her limbs and smiled. Everything would get in order. She would be out of quarantine soon and she could go on with her dear mundane day-to-day life. Her gaze touched the stick figures on the card the first years had made for her and the peonies Ada had given her. Joy bloomed in her heart. As the peonies already began to fade, she decided to put them between the pages of her tome of „Gathering day and night“ and was pleased the book finally came to use.

  


A hesitant knock on the door catched her attention. „Miss Hardbroom? It’s me…“ came Miss Tapioca’s voice from behind the door. „Erm, I brought you your breakfast. And- well, I think you should know… Miss Cackle’s missing.“

Hecate’s eyed widened. „What do you mean, missing?“

„She didn’t come home last night. She was at Amethyst’s and they said she left at ten. She must have returned by eleven, but apparently she hasn’t… Miss Drill is off to look for her.“

Hecate couldn’t reply. A million thoughts ran through her mind. Ada would have somehow adverted the school if she delayed for some reason... She was a careful flyer, as long as she knew her she had never overestimated her abilities… The weather had been fine these last days… This didn’t make any sense. Ada!

„Do you need anything, HB?“

„I need Ada,“ Hecate thought, but she said: „Did she mention anything before she left? Maybe there was another appointment following?“

„Not as far as we know. Don’t worry, Miss Drill is gonna find her. Let me know if I can bring you anything- I installed a bat outside your door. Just knock, aye?“

Hecate sat on her bed, processing the news. Ada going missing between Cackle’s and Amethyst’s made no sense. She must have had a rather bad accident leaving her helpless and unable to contact the others. Oh, how she cursed to be quarantined! Hecate closed her eyes and tried to feel if the Eris‘ touch still affected her. It only felt like a small irregularity in her magic, barely noticeable. If she didn’t know she was infected, she wouldn’t have given it a second thought. No, she had to risk it! She couldn’t sit inside doing nothing when Ada was in danger! Quickly she went to the door and turned the key, but the door didn’t open. She rattled the handle, tried to turn the key again. Nothing.

„Sorry,“ came Tapioca’s voice from the other side. „Dimity suggested it. Miss Cackle has mentioned that it was imperative to keep you in quarantine for at least three more days, even if you feel better. And Dimity tought you would get ideas if you heard that Miss Cackle was missing…“

Hecate gasped. „Open that door, Miss Tapioca!“

„Really, I can’t.“

„So, I’m under arrest now?“

„It’s for your own good and for the good of the school. It’s what Miss Cackle wanted.“

Hecate couldn’t argue with that. „I can’t just sit here and do nothing! When Miss Drill returns I want to see her immediately! And bring me all the books Ada has read these last days!“

„Aye, I’ll see what I can get you.“

  


After what seemed like an eternity Tapioca had left the books at her doorstep, carefully coming out of cover and setting the locking spell when Hecate had brought them inside.

It were mostly books related to magic deseases and medicine. As Dimity had told, Ada must have read everything about the Eris‘ touch that was available. „Focus, Hecate,“ she told herself before opening the first book looking for any clues.

She sat there reading for hours but she didn’t find much. Only small chapters or even paragraphs were treating the subject. There were indeed only a few places where the Eris‘ touch occurred. It was so rare that the condition it caused had for a long time not been diagnosed as such, but as a case of magical madness. It had only been in the late 19th century that the particular mists in the aulde moor were linked to the disease and its origins were still unknown. In one of the books, but it was a mythological work, it was told that a witch jealous of the powers of another had hexed her and when said witch realized that she wasn’t in control of her powers anymore she had committed suicide in the old moor. The infection was indeed very contagious, but could be kept under control with strict quantine. It was advised to quarantine the patient for ten days minimum, given there were no more indications. The infected witch had to restrain from any use of her magic until the infection was gone, as any use of it would turn against herself. There were horrible descriptions of simple spells that turned into self-harm. As one got used to the Eris‘ touch, the patient herself couldn’t judge if the effects had worn off. There was a report of one case were the witch had been released too early and with the first flick of her wrist had mutilated herself atrociously. „Not quite uplifting,“ Hecate thought by herself. But she didn’t find any clue.

  


„HB? It’s me!“

Hecate was relieved to hear Dimity’s voice behind the door- it had come this far... „Did you…?“

„I’m afraid not. I searched every possible route between here and Amethyst‘s.“

They fell silent for a moment, both thinking about what to do next.

„I’m going through her books at the moment,“ Hecate broke the silence. „maybe you could search her office for- anything?“

„Of course, Hecate.“

„Who’s in charge of the girls?“ Hecate was angry she only thought about it now.

„Gwen and Algernon are watching them today. They all do some silent assignments in the noon and will be cleaning the sports field and the broomstick shed in the afternoon.“

„Thank you Dimity.“

„No problem, HB. I’ll let you know when I have something!“

  


When Hecate returned to Ada’s books, she catched sight of „Ancient Ingredients- a compendium of knowledge (almost) lost during the Dark Ages“. She leaved through it, but didn’t find anything about the Eris‘ touch. „Of course, it wasn’t discovered until the late 19th century! Concentration!“ Maybe there was something under magical madness…

„Magical Madness- a state that hinders one’s ability to cast spells properly. Reported cases of self-harming tendencies. If, in state of madness, one uses magic there may be long-term consequences. To prevent them use spondolix growing at the feet of a hundred year old wych elm boiled together with its bark.“

Not very precise, but that was how these old potion recipes were written. Hecate thought of the sleeping potion she had been foolish enough to take. Maybe Ada had made a detour to gather the ingredients… But she would have told the others, surely… Nevertheless, that was the only thing she had come across so far.

  


Hecate knocked on her own door. Moments later, Dimity came. „Have you found anything?“

„It’s only vague- there is a potion to prevent long-term consequences. Could you bring me a map with Cackle‘s and Amethyst’s and their surroundings?“

A second later the map slided through the gap of her door. Hecate eyed the map carefully. There were a lot of forests between the two witching academies. She knew them all very well… She knew where to find anything, but it seemed that she never came across an old wych elm, she always procured it from Hags and Horrocks. She squinted her eyes reading every small notion on the map, when a small grey circle got her attention. There were three trees above the inscription „elm copse“. The circle was headed „Vesta’s“.

„Dimity- are you still there?“

„‘course! Have you got anything?“

„I’m not sure. There are elms not far from Amethyst’s. But it seems that the area belongs to a certain Vesta…“

„Mark it on the map and I’ll be right off!“

Hecate obeyed and passed the map under the door. „Be careful, Dimity. I don’t know her- ask about her at Amethyst’s first. Amaryllis Aura is always a good source for these things.“

„Sure. Bye, HB!“

„Take care,“ Hecate added, but Dimity’s footsteps were already fading. „Bring back my Ada safely,“ she wispered with tears in her eyes. Now that there was nothing more for her to do, the uncontrolled thoughts took over again. The thought of losing Ada was unbearable. Thinking that she could never see those eyes again. That she might have lost this light touch of her arm forever. No, she wouldn’t allow those dark thoughts again. „I love you, Ada!“ She longed to make this confession she had never managed to utter. She had never even allowed herself to think it. But now it was out. „I love you, I love you, I love you!“ If it was a chant that could bring Ada back, she sank on her knees, letting her tears flow.

  


„Hecate?“ It was Gwen’s familiar voice.

„Yes?“ Hecate sobbed.

„Hecate, I know this isn’t easy. We are all afraid, but I gather it is much harder if you have so much left to tell.“

Hecate was silent, but she didn’t interrupt. Somehow it was comforting to hear this from Gwen. She didn’t have Dimity’s edge to it.

„I guess she has as much to tell you as you have to tell her.“

„You think so?“ Hecate asked, she couldn’t deny it anymore, not Gwen.

„I’m pretty sure.“

„That makes it even worse, I guess.“

„Do not torment yourself Hecate. She wouldn’t want that. I’ll have to go now. But I leave you a little something at your doorstep. As soon as we hear from Dimity we’ll let you know.“

  


Hecate sighed and dried her eyes. When she opened the door Pendle sashayed in. He made a small squeal of surprise at the welcome, Hecate lifting him up and pressing him to her heart. She would never let go of that little ball of fur. Dear Pendle. She sank her face in his silky black fur. There seemed to linger a hint of Ada’s perfume. She sat down with him looking out of the window, fondling the purring cat until dusk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading! Let me know if you liked this chapter!


	7. day 7

Hecate woke at first light. Pendle, still curled in her lap, lifted his head at her movement. She put him gently on her bed and knocked at her door to hear if there were any news from Dimity. She tapped impatiently on the wood as the moments passed. Finally- Tapioca‘s voice.

„HB! Already awake?“

„Obviously. Do you have any message from Miss Drill?“

„She messaged yesterday that she had well arrived at Amethyst‘s and that she would let us know when she starts today.“

„Can you send for Miss Bat? It is imperative I’m au courant!“

„Sure. But first, I’ll make breakfast- first things first.“

Hecate rolled her eyes at the woman’s terrible misjudgement of priorities. „Hurry up, Miss Tapioca! The life of our headmistress is in danger.“

„Oi, we can’t do anything for her now. So keep calm and eat your breakfast. I’ll send Miss Bat with it.“

Hecate couldn’t argue with that. She went back to her bed to pick up Pendle. The black cat chirped at her affection. It almost seemed like he understood the situation, given how calm and cuddly he was. „Don’t worry, we’ll get her back. You miss her as much as I do, don’t you?“ As an answer he butted his head against her hand. The presence of Ada’s familiar was so reassuring, she couldn’t think how she would do without him. Hecate held him close to her heart and sank her face in his fur. He still smelled of Ada’s perfume. She pressed him closer and pressed a kiss on his head. Now Pendle reclaimed his freedom and leaped on the window ledge. „Alright, look out if they’re coming back!“

Had she really done everything she could? Had she missed a detail? Something that could help to find Ada? Limited to her rooms and without her magic she always had a feeling of insufficiency. As if she could have tried harder. But it was out of question to use magic. Maybe she should go through the books again…

„Miss Hardbroom?“ It was Gwen.

„There you are, Miss Bat!“

„Miss Tapioca asked me to bring your tray…“

„Have you heard of Miss Drill?“

„In fact, I just got a message… Let me get my maglet. Here. So- how do I open this message…?“

Hecate rolled her eyes. „Just double tap one the symbol,“ she replied impatiently.

„Oh, my bad- sure, sure. Here we have it:  
„Dear Miss Bat, I was able to speak to Amaryllis Aura but it’s all quite vague. The forest is the property of Vesta Blackthorne. She was a famous witchball player once, but that must have been before my time. Now she’s quite the loner and lives somewhere in the forest. Nobody at Amethyst knows her better. I’ll try to see her today. I’ll go on my own as she never shows when more than one person tries to reach out. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. PS: Best wishes from Amaryllis, she‘d very much like to see you sometime soon!“  
Oh, what a dear- we went to school together, you know?“

„Amaryllis Aura and you? I’m not surprised… Do you know this Vesta Blackthorne?“

„I’ve never been one for sports. But I think I remember the name. Gosh, that was quite some time ago.“

„Can you find out about her active time? We have an abundant collection of the Witching Times. I’d have to read everything there is!“

„Oh, that’s a nice occupation for the girls this morning!“

„Please, don’t let the first years jumble the library, this is a task for the fourth years…!“

„Don’t you worry, Miss Hardbroom!“

Hecate sighed and returned to her desk. Yesterday she had left the books all across the table, some still open. She chided herself for her negligence and began to clean up, going through the books once again.

„Miss Hardbroom! Miss Hardbroom!“ Mildred Hubble’s voice blared from behind the door.

„Miss Hubble, what are you trying to convey with your yelling?“ Hecate almost smiled at the excited voice of her student.

„We have the journal archives you asked for,“ replied Millie.

„We have also some numbers of „WellMet“-magazine. We thought this might be of interest,“ added Maud.

„Very well. Thank you Miss Hubble, Miss Spellbody. Now please retire, so I can gather the volumes…“

„We hope you get well soon…“ said Millie.

„And that Miss Drill finds Miss Cackle“ came from Maud.

„So do I.“ Hecate couldn’t hide her smile. The sound of their leapy steps faded in the corridor.

They had left her a huge pile of papers. Hecate sat down to study them. Normally, she wouldn‘t touch the sports pages, but if needs must. Vesta had been quite an impressive witchball player. She had been active well above the regular age. From what the blurry black and white pictures told she had been a robust witch, very muscular, very tall, dark short hair and a smile that witnessed a rugged sense of humor. She had won every witchball cup there was multiple times and had been in the best of teams, or rather had made every team she had been in the best.

But apart from her sportive achievements Hecate that deemed boring, she found nothing. Maybe the girls hadn’t been wrong and it would be good to look her up in the „WellMet“. It seemed that, outside of her career, Vesta had had a lot of admirers and some kind of high society life. With her extravagant lifestyle she continued to be in the press well beyond her active years, frequenting all the parties and frivolous events Hecate despised. Vesta was hardly ever seen with the same witch twice. Hecate looked at all these beautiful witches, dressed up to the nines in the style of her time, smiling brightly in the camera and clutching to Vesta’s arm. Vesta herself, bright smile, always the same, mostly in tailored suits… Hecate leafed through the yellowed pages and sighed. At some point the reports had stopped abruptly. The image in the magazines didn’t go together with the loner Dimity was describing. Something must have caused her sudden retraction, but there was no hint.

„Miss Hardbroom?“ it was Gwen again

„I’m still in here,“ Hecate answered ironically.

„We have news!“ Hecate rushed to the door. „Dimity writes she has reached the forest. She has found Ada’s broom nearby and tries to find Vesta.“

Hecate shook her head, how should she endure the next hours? She paced her room, desperately seeking for distraction.

It was one of the oddest potion lessons ever held in Cackle’s. All four years were sitting on grey pillows in the corridor in front of Miss Hardbroom’s door. Millie was propped against Maud, Enid cross-legged next to them. Miss Hardbroom’s commanding voice sounded from behind the door, revising the learning matter for next week’s test. The rhythm of the questions became quicker and quicker and even though she didn’t see the pupils Miss Hardbroom hadn‘t lost her sixth sense. She securely targeted just the pupil that wasn’t paying attention, always knew who wasn’t sure about the answer.

„Alright girls, that’s enough for today. I hope you are all aware of your weak points and put some effort in your studies until your test next week. Class dismissed!“

The fading chatter of the girls was interrupted by Gwen’s voice. „I have something from Dimity!“

„Tell me!“

„It’s not much, she hasn’t found any trace of Vesta-“ Gwen hushed.

„Is there anything else?“

„Well, she has found Ada’s bag in a shrubbery. But nothing more. She‘s considering to return to Amethyst’s before sunset. Must be quite a gloomy forest.“

„Could you… could you ask her to continue the search?“

„Hecate, it might be dangerous…“

„Please, ask her to. We mustn’t lose time. She could pretend to be an admirer, flatter her. And maybe she should turn off her maglet… Please! I would go myself-„

„I know Hecate, but that is out of question!“ After a moment Gwen raised her voice. „Alright, she will stay.“

Hecate was relieved, but that uneasy feeling remained. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep so she returned to Ada’s books. She eyed them one by one, when she recognized the familiar cover of the novel Ada has lent her the first day of isolation. It had escaped her until now, or she must have mistaken it for a mythological work (given the fake historical cover one could easily describe as kitschy). Hecate smiled at the memory of finding the novel on her breakfast tray. She turned it in her hands and inspected it carefully. It must be one of Ada’s favourite books given the worn condition. It opened easily at a particular page that seemed to be read even more often. Hecate curiously read the page and blushed. Oh, that part… she remembered. She quickly put the book away and resolved to go to bed, so she would be alert when any news from Dimity came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love the word shrubbery...


	8. day 8

Hecate had a peculiar dream that night. It was that Beltane celebration years ago. Ada wore her pink dress and recited the traditional chants. When everybody was joining in, the light of the fire catched her heated face and sparkled in her eyes. With the distraction of the ceremony, Hecate had felt safe enough to linger a bit longer at the sight. The slightly unbuttoned dress, Ada‘s smile… And suddenly she had realized that she wanted to kiss Ada. Was this due to the specific energy of the holiday? No, deep down she knew she had always wanted to kiss her. That it was more than friendship she felt for Ada. The heat of the fire seemed to have multiplied and it had taken her more than a beat to collect herself. She had retired early that evening and didn’t attend the teacher’s gathering after the official school celebration. But in her dream, she was still sitting by the fire with the other teachers, watching Ada unashamedly as they sang the more daring traditional chants. Her flushed lips, the curves under her dress… The fire grew bigger as they sang, dangerously tall, but nobody seemed to notice. And when it was as tall as the biggest tree around, suddenly a dragon stepped out of it, spread his enormous wings, and when taking off he pinched Ada between his claws and flew away. Hecate wanted to stop him, but her limbs moved achingly slow. When the dark point had vanished at the horizon, Hecate looked around. Gwen was standing next to her, a white armour in her hands. „Here, Hecate- go get your girl!“ But Hecate was still unable to move at normal speed. To Hecate’s horror, Dimity stepped up, grabbed the armour and ran away. „Hecate?“ Gwen exclaimed. 

„Hecate? Are you awake?“

Hecate raised in her bed, thankful it had only been a dream. „I’m- I’m here!“

„We have news from Dimity!“

Hecate hasted to her door, almost fainting at the sudden rise and disturbing Pendle who was thoroughly cleaning himself on the duvet.

„What is it? Has she found her?“

„It’s only a very short message, but she has indeed found her. Dimity tries to convince Vesta to let her go! I’m sorry, there is nothing more. The poor thing must have written in a hurry, her text is full of errors!“

„Ugh!“ Hecate groaned. Dimity’s lack of grammatical correctness was the least of her worries! She had maybe only used one of those horrendous abbreviations… why did she even think about that now? „Miss Bat, I- I have to do something! I can’t stay in here!“

„Dimity has sent another thing, but we can’t read it… I’ll pass it under the door, maybe you can figure it out.“

A page slid under the door. Hecate took it and inspected it curiously. There were nonsensical letters and ciphers and runes- a code maybe. Hecate sat down at her desk. When she replaced every 1 with the letter A… And the runes could stand for names. Let’s see… no. Again. She passed the whole noon bent over the piece of paper desperately trying to solve the code. At noon she sat back in her chair and frowned. „Mildred Maud and Enid are in the library. Try to get Star and Tabby and see me behind the broomstick shed at noon. I have mixed a potion that will teach them all a lesson!“ Most irregular, Hecate thought before she knocked on her door. After a while Gwen’s voice appeared.

„Have you found out?“

„I want an explanation, Gwen Bat!“

„It’s something Ethel had come up with. But we have it under control. Look Hecate, we had to keep you busy…!“

Unbelievable! Hecate was speechless. „Are you not aware of the situation, Miss Bat? Am I an imbecile you have to keep occupied?“

„Hecate, be reasonable. As it is, you cannot do anything to help Dimity. I know how hard it must be, but sometimes we cannot help our loved ones… When Algernon was a frog-„

„Oh, please spare me-“ A chime interrupted her. „-was that your maglet? Is it from Dimity?“

„Let’s see- oh, yes indeed.  
„Safe back at Amethyst’s. Both of us. Ada according circumstances. Amaryllis confident she’ll be conscious soon. I’ll report later.“  
Hmm, what do you think about that?“

„What I think about it!? Ada is consciousless, it’s a disaster! Tell Dimity I need to know exactly what had happened. Why is she consciousless?“

„Fine.“ Gwen’s voice was decidedly too calm in Hecate’s opinion. „In the meantime, you should think of something different. I brought you the mock-exam of the third years. You could put yourself to good use. It’s what Ada would want.“

Hecate couldn’t argue with that. She shouldn‘t let things loose while Ada was away. It was her duty as deputy headmistress. Even in her current state of restraint. She tried to calm herself and concentrate on disappearing potion theory but her poor handwriting gave her away. Her hands shook. Nervously she got up, paced the lenght her room a few times until she resolved to knock on her door again, but before her knuckles touched the wood, Gwen’s voice was there.

„We have a more detailed report now- we put it on a paper for you to read.“

With shaking hands Hecate took the piece of parchment passed under the door. Her eyes flew over the text:

„You wanted a detailed report, Hecate, so here it is. I was wandering the whole day in that forest making a fool of myself shouting for Vesta. When night had fallen I wanted to light a fire but there was a disturbance that made it impossible. I try to cite the following dialogue from memory.

„You’re not gonna light a fire in a forest, you silly witch!“ She hid in the dark, I only heard her voice.

„Vesta Blackthorne? Is that you?“ 

“You had my hospitality for long enough. Leave now.“ 

„I’m Dimity Drill, don’t know if you heard of me…“ 

A short pause. „Dimity Drill? The former Star of the Sky? `Course I heard of you, I read the papers.“ 

(Hecate rolled her eyes.)

„Yes, that’s me. I am sorry to intrude like that, but I wanted to meet you in person.“ 

„What for?“ 

„Uugh, just chatting. About the old times.“ 

„You’re not a reporter?“ 

„What? No! I’m a teacher now, at Cackle’s“ 

„Ugh, Cackle’s!“ 

„Admittedly, it is quite the change compared to my active years… How did you cope with that?“

„How I cope? You ask how I cope? Oh, you know nothing, Dimity Drill!“ 

„Sooo, you don’t?“

She finally allowed me to see her and I can tell you she’s one of the most impressive witches I’ve met. With a flick of her wrist she lighted a green fire and sat down.

„You know I had a fulfilling career, a wonderful life. I had everything I ever wanted. You know where I come from- I didn’t even have a broomstick on my own when I was a little witch. But when you have everything people become jealous. And they try to take advantage. I was tricked into this life I lead now. Blackmailed. Women have always been my weakness. I had my fair share of heartbreak, trust me. I know the ones that only were with me because of the fame it entailed. The ones who were after my lifestyle. Some of them were good, but I saw it too late. I got bored so easily at the time. But that last one was wicked. She was a tease I couldn’t resist. You should have seen her eyes… I was under her spell since our first encounter. But she schemed from the beginning. I still don’t know how, but she found out about a little secret of mine. End of story, she took all my wealth and demanded that I live as a hermit for the rest of my life.“

„I know this feeling of betrayal. I’m sorry Vesta.“

„And now it all comes up again…“

„I’m sorry, I didn’t want to…“

„…with her turning up here…“

„What do you mean?“

„…probably reveling in my misery.“

„Who turned up?“

„The wicked one. Agatha.“

„Wait, wait. There’s another thing I wanted to ask you. Our headmistress is missing and there is reason to assume she was here.“

„What?“

„I mean- we think Ada Cackle has been here- you didn’t talk about Agatha Cackle, her identical twin-sister, did you?“

„…“

„Vesta, what have you done with the witch you took for Agatha?“

„Oh, Cackle is Cackle!“

„No, no. They are complete opposites. They don’t get along very well. Ada would never harm anybody! We are in a bit of a situation. One of our teachers has catched the Eris‘ touch and she was here to gather an ingredient for a healing potion.“

„One does not take from another witch’s forest without asking.“

„She would have asked, I’m sure. But you see, her beloved is in danger, so she must’ve…“

(Hecate harrumphed at the expression.)

„So, you say it isn’t Agatha?“

„I’m sure it‘s Ada.“

Vesta stood up. „Alright. I’ll transfer her to the place where you entered the forest. But leave me alone now. Once and for all.“ And then she disappeared.

I got out oft hat forest as fast as I could and that’s where I found Ada laying next to her broom. I tried to wake her. She opened her eyes, but only shortly. I asked how she felt, but she only said:

„My bag… take it. Save Hecate!“

(Hecate blinked away a tear)

I asked what had happened to her, she said something like „bound with weeping willow“ and then passed out. I took her to Amethyst’s with the help of some of the other teachers and we try to figure something out. Her condition is stable and she’s in good hands, so don’t worry. I mean, I know you will worry, but they’re very competent witches.“

Hecate put down the parchment. She had to think clearly now. Bound by weeping willow. That must have drained Ada’s magical energy, even more so if she had fought against it. Hecate wrote down a potion recipe and knocked on her door. As soon as she heard a sound she began to speak.

„I wrote down a recipe for Ada. You have to get it to Amethyst’s as quickly as possible. And take some of the spotted saurian‘s tail and the golden colubrid skin, these ingredients are rare and I don’t know if they have them at Amethyst’s. You find them on the third shelf on the right side, second shelf from above, fifth jar from the left and in the cupboard on the left, top shelf, second jar on the left.“

„Ermh. Alright, Miss Hardbroom!“ Oh no, it was Mildred’s voice! But there was no time to lose.

„Mildred Hubble!? Repeat what I have said!“

„Spotted saurian’s tail and- golden … colubrid skin. Third shelf on the right, cupboard on the left. I don’t remember the rest, but I’ll read the labels. Don’t worry, I’ll send Enid, she’s the fastest!“

Hecate exhaled sharply. What had she done, laying the wellbeing of her- her headmistress in the hands of a student. In the hands of Mildred Hubble of all! She began to pace when Pendle distracted her by playing with the hem of her skirt. How could she have forgotten. But he was restless and not in the mood for cuddles so she opened the window for him to go outside. When she looked at the black cat playing on the roof, she spotted a little witch on a broomstick on her way to Amethyst’s. In the last moment she refrained from muttering a protective spell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little backstory: Vesta was dating one of the witches from Agatha’s coven. When she was dumped, she asked Agatha to plan her revenge. She knew Vesta had cheated when she was younger, nothing serious, but it would stain her reputation. Vesta’s wealth was divided in between the coven members. (I still believe the „Free Spirits“ are a twisted Robin Hoodesque group in a sense…)


	9. day 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> very short passage with implication of mistreatment

She had barely slept this night. Always listening for sounds in the corridor that might bring news from Ada. But apart from the rustling of some bats that had her more than once rush to the door, heart fluttering and hair disheveled, nothing had moved inside the thick stone walls of Cackle’s Academy. It was only due to Pendle’s reassuring presence, who eventually had come back inside, that she found some hours of sleep.

By dawn Hecate had already finished the marking of the mock-exam and was pacing her room again, at each turn either looking out of her window or listening at her door for any sounds in the corridor. How she hated being useless… She now felt completely recovered and it urged her to transfer to the great hall to see what the students were up to. With Dimity gone and only Gwen and Algernon present she feared the worst. With their kind ways these two were hardly the ones to counter the shenanigans of a bunch of adolecent witches. But she knew better and stayed. 

She tried to occupy herself by reorganizing the few books she kept in her room. Most of them were stored in the potions lab, where she spent the most of her day. But she kept some of her personal notes in her room. Going through the books she opened an old notebook from her schooldays. She glanced over her illustrations of solanaceous herbs as she flicked through the pages. She did look back at the time with mixed feelings. Remembering little Hecate and how eager she was to please. It was required to write an essay about solanaceous herbs? Hecate would add illustrations to her thoroughly constructed essay. And she wouldn’t stop at the commonly known herbs, but treat the rarest of them. She knew that it wasn’t talent or inherited power that gave her magic the strength, it was her discipline. A discipline she had learnt the hard way. The memory of Misstress Broomhead wasn’t a fond one. Times were different then.   
It was odd, how different her experience at Cackle’s was. Surely, she was a teacher now, but she didn’t stop learning. She learned that tradition wasn’t synonyme to rigidity. And Ada had showed her that kindness wasn’t the same as weakness. She marvelled at the way Ada got her way with charm and praise and sometimes with the help of inducing a feeling of guilt. But she just couldn’t bring herself to follow Ada’s example. It didn’t come natural to her to compliment students for the bare minimum, to be lenient or to touch people. As much as she admired Ada for it. As much as she herself longed to touch Ada. To return the squeeze of her arm she secretly enjoyed so much. She had often found herself standing next to Ada hoping for a light touch, even an unintended brush of her hand, only to worry how she could bear the feeling shortly after. But the occasional touch was Ada’s nature, she didn’t seem to think about it. Not like Hecate thought about it.  
She still mused about Ada when knock sounded from her door. Finally!

„Ermh. Miss Hardbroom, how do I find you today?“ It was Algernon.

„Don’t worry about me, you find me well. Do you bring any news?“

„Well, I bring your tray and sadly Dimity informed us that the potion you suggested doesn’t work. It seems Miss Cackle is still unconscious.“

Hecate’s mind instantly switched to alert mode. She should have never relied on anybody else (another lesson learned from Hecketty Broomhead) and she shouldn’t have made an exception when it came to brewing a potion for Ada. Amethyst’s was a prestigious academy, almost as honorable as Cackle’s, but you never know how serious your collegues are when it comes to vocational training and refinement of their craft. „I- I need… I’ll figure something out. I’ll let you know when I have something!“

„Please, Miss Hardbroom. You should eat something first!“

„Leave it here, I’ll see when I have the time.“

She had already turned to her table and the books that were now neatly arranged. Apparently, the antidote commonly used against the binding spell didn’t work- assumed the staff at Amethyst’s was competent enough to brew it. „Ancient Ingredients- a compendium of knowledge (almost) lost during the Dark Ages“ had been a good source recently, so it was the first book she turned to. Luckily the binding with mourning willow was a well-known spell. But as it seemed, it was altered throughout the times with variations of all sorts, and it was hard to find an antidote without the original spell. It must have been a strong one if it was able to overpower Ada’s magic (given Ada was under its influence for approximately 24 hours, she calculated). She went through the description of the different variations of the spell, when one caught Hecate’s interest. It was a spell used in the dark ages that was now forbidden by the Code. The victim was placed in a cage of enchanted branches of the mourning willow that slowly drained its powers and personality. Once completed, the victim was under control of the witch and could be formed at her option. It was commonly referred to as the „lover’s revenge“ for it was often used as such.   
Hecate raised an eyebrow, questioning if such practice should be described in a publicly available book. But it seemed possible that Vesta wanted to get this kind of cruel revenge on Agatha. She looked further, but there was no antidote, only some sort of poem.   
„In the cauldron filled  
Add true love’s despair  
To wake the hexed body.“  
That was nothing one could work with. Hecate sighed at the impreciseness of this work. But there was another antidote, that seemed to work for a lot of variations. She copied the ingredients and added a detailed recipe, meticulously calculating the doses required and the exact temperature necessary to use each ingredient to full capacity. Yet, she regretted deeply that she couldn’t brew it herself. But the quicker Ada got an antidote, the higher the chances she would recover.

She opened her door, someone must have lifted the spell, and placed the recipe outside, then knocked to activate the bat signal. She took the tray that was waiting there inside. It was nicely decorated with flowers from the garden, but it just wasn’t the same as the ones from Ada, she thought.

After a short while Algernon showed up. „I see you have found something.“

„Indeed. It is imperative to message this recipe to Amethyst’s immediately, Mister Rowan-Webb. And please make sure that whoever is brewing the potion, follows my instructions with utmost precision!“

„Erm, yes, Miss Hardbroom. I see, you’re back on track!“

„Hurry, Mister Rowan-Webb!“

And off he was. Hecate decided to investigate further about the poem she had found. It was worth a try if the new potion should prove to be inefficient. She looked for plants called „lover’s despair“ or any other clue, but found nothing. So she ended with the small well-thumbed book about witches‘ mythology. As a scientist she despised these doubtful sources, often spiced with misleading additions or neglecting the facts in favour of story-telling. But she couldn’t deny that she had found some interesting hints in the book recently. To her surprise she found a text about a case of mourning-willow-cage-revenge. It was one of those tearful educational stories. The hexed witch woke after a week in the cage, drained from all her powers and under the control of her former lover. Quickly the maleficient witch regretted her doings when she realised that the spell didn’t bring back the old times. So she tried to brew an antidote, but it wasn’t strong enough to bring her lover back. She tore out her hair and cried and sobbed at the loss of her lover and the damage caused. As Hecate understood the end of the story, these added ingredients had finally brought back the witch. „Interesting“, she thought by herself. A faint knock on the door distracted her thoughts.

„Miss Hardbroom? It’s me, Enid!“

„Enid!“ Never had she been happier to hear the student’s voice. „You bring good news?“

„I have the antidote you need, if that’s what you mean?“

„The…?“ Hecate had completely forgotten about the origin of this trouble.

„Miss Drill told me to come back here and give it to you. Miss Cackle had woken up, but only for a short while and she insisted that they brew this potion for you.“

„Is she…?“

„She was unconscious when I left.“

Hecate could only hope, they’d have her new recipe by now. „Alright, just leave it at the doorstep.“

She paced her room trying to calm herself, then took the little vial inside. She eyed it and frowned. After the outcome of the last potion from Amethyst’s she doubted its potency. Furthermore, she couldn’t remember the last time she had taken a potion she had not made herself. No, she would better not risk it. She had no indication after all. So she placed the small bottle on top of her shelf. When she had just turned to the books again, a miaow sounded from outside the window. Hecate’s face lit up. It was Pendle requesting admission. She opened the window, and with a little bow bid the black cat inside. Pendle slipped through the window giving the impression of an elegant guest in a noble restaurant, then took a big leap on the shelf and placed himself next to the vial. Hecate didn’t pay attention and returned to her table. The cat followed her with its eyes.

Hecate tried to read, but she felt the attentive gaze of the cat that sat immobile above her. It was silly but it almost felt like Ada’s look of reproach. She finally gave in. „Allright. I’ll take it.“ Hecate lifted the cork and downed the content. It burned inside her throat and left a strange taste on her tongue. Like plain leaves and moss- of couse they didn’t add zest to it at Amethyst’s. Shortly after, she felt very tired. „I hope that’s how it is supposed to feel,“ she thought when she decided to lay down on her bed, not even able to remove her dress before falling asleep. Pendle curled on her chest and did the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for staying tuned- I hope you still like it!  
> Even Pendle does the "Ada would want you to take care of yourself"-thing now...


	10. day 10

It was her last day in isolation and she’d swear it was the hardest. Today was the first day time had regained its meaning but it went by as slowly as never before. Hecate was pacing her rooms like a panther in a cage, waiting to be released. Only that this panther was checking its timepiece every ten seconds. The worst was that there were still no news from Amethyst’s. Once out of her room she would fly there immediately to check on Ada.

It was around noon when Hecate catched sight of a strange formation at the horizon. When it approached she distinguished a couple of witches on their broomsticks, in their middle a strange object she couldn’t identify. It was only when they landed in the courtyard right under Hecate’s window that she saw it. Hecate’s eyes widened in shock. It was Ada, lying on a piece of cloth that had been stretched between two broomsticks, her eyes closed and pale as snow. Hecate instantly backed away from the window, her legs suddenly feeling weak. No, that couldn’t be! Her brain shortly tried to deny, but her body reacted. Her eyes already welled with tears, and sinking on her knees she wept without a noise, her face distorted in a grimace of grief. Her mind was blank. And then the pain washed over her and filled her up.

„Oi, HB!“ It was Dimity’s voice, but Hecate couldn’t answer. „It’s me, Dimity! Are you in there? You’re not sleeping at this time of the day, aren’t you?“

In attempt to answer Hecate let out a sob.

„Are you alright, HB? – The girls from Amethyst’s helped me to bring Ada back here…“

Hecate made an effort to speak. „Is she-?“ she couldn’t continue.

„What? Goddes, no! Her condition is stable. She didn’t wake up though… So we thought she would be better off here and figured out a way to transport her. I hear you will be released today?“

„I think so. Gwen told me they’d let me out at three o’clock.“

„Just in time for a nice cuppa!“

„I hardly think I’ll have time for tea, Miss Drill.“

„Sure. Do you need anything, HB?“

„No, I’m fine. Please make sure they take Ada to her own rooms, not to the infirmary room. And look after the fire, she hates cold rooms! Get her her the pink tartan blanket, she likes that one-“ her voice faltered as her eyes filled with tears again.

„I’ll do. See you at three then!“

What a nightmare. But Ada was alive, nothing else mattered. Hecate looked at the few lines on her table that were her last resort. Then she took up the calculating again. The use of bodyparts in potions was widely out of use these days. One had to be very careful with the dosing as the potency differed considerably from witch to witch. She couldn’t quite assess her own current powers. Given the time she hadn’t used her magic it should be quite mighty. On the other hand she had to take into consideration her illness. But once again, the old tomes were a big help. She would have given her last drop of blood to save Ada, but an overdose could have converse effects.

Somehow these last hours passed. At five to three Hecate stood up, smoothed her dress, and primly waited in front of her door. Timepiece in hand she counted down the seconds. At three o’clock precisely, nothing happened. Alright. She would go out on her own. She closed her timepiece and got the doorknob. No. She was able to use magic again, she would do it with a spell. Her eyes fluttered. What if- a nervousness emerged and made her hesitate. Nonsense! She was Hecate Hardbroom! With a small wink of her index finger she opened the door. It went smoothly. Of course it did. But it felt like a victory. Another wink closed the door. Hecate tilted her head contentedly. And with a flick of her wrist she departed to Ada’s room.

Ada was covered in blankets, only some strands of hair were showing. When Hecate materialized, Dimity raised from the chair next to the bed.

„Oops, HB! We have completely forgotten about you. So sorry.“

Hecate shook her head, she couldn’t suppress a small smile. „Dimity Drill. I have to thank you for what you have done.“

„Nevermind, HB. Guess I’ll let you alone for now.“

Hecate ducked her head, thankful she didn’t have to ask for it. She approached Ada’s bed carefully. The pale face made her shiver again. Never before had she seen Ada so weak, so small and so not-there. She sat down at the edge of the bed and hovered her hand over Ada’s. She wanted to hold that hand, to squeeze it, to be sure Ada was really lying there. But she was unable to touch her. „I’m so sorry, Ada. This is my fault. I am bad for you. I don’t deserve you. Not your kindness, nor your friendship. But I will find a way to fix this. And when I succeed,“ she promised herself, „I will leave you so I can never harm you again!“ She wagged her head. Here she was, crying again instead of putting herself to work. There was only one place for her. And only one thing to do. „You’re a genius when it comes to potions, stick with that.“ She remembered the words she heard in her dreams a few days ago, quickly dried her tears with her hands and stood up. With a determined flick of her wrist she transferred to the potions lab.

The familiar scent of herbs and other ingredients greeted her. She quickly collected the needed ingredients from the shelves. Much to her surprise she found most things at their place. The well known movements steadied her. She knew how to stir correctly, she didn’t need a scale to weigh the exact amount of each ingredient, she knew how to regulate the temperature. She had been brewing potions her whole life, that was what she knew best. It was all she knew. And finally, after all these long days she felt like herself again. When she had the base potion ready, it was time for the other ingredients. 

„Ada, even though I have never been able to tell you, I loved you with all my heart and this will be my final gift to you,“ she thought by herself. She rooted out some hair, counted and mesured each one and let them sink into the bubbling liquid. Then she added a drop of her blood. Now the tears. She took a deep breath. But they didn’t come. She tried again. That was ridiculous, she had been in tears the whole day! 

Anger started to boil inside her. But no tears. She reached for the black handkerchief in her sleeve, but it was dry. Nervously her fingers tapped on the table. She mastered the art of self-control and knew a good handful of tricks to fight back tears, but how did one conjure tears when they wouldn’t flow? Even the thought of Ada did nothing besides letting her heart race, increasing her nervousness. 

Her eyes fluttered. Failure was not an option. Not now, when she was about to brew the most important potion in her whole life. She couldn’t possibly cheat and cut onions or rub something into her eyes? No, she wasn’t a cheater and the ingredient was named „lover’s despair“ for a reason. She paced her lab when her gaze met a small bottle of ink a student must have forgotten on the table.

It was worth a try. She rummaged in her drawer and found a piece of paper and a quill.

„Ada,“ No. „Dear Ada, I still can‘t fathom...“ No. „I failed you miserably. My negligence is unforgivable and all I can hope for is that my potion is good enough for you. That you recover fully. I chastise myself for my inaptness, I know you wouldn’t want me to, but I deserve it. I never deserved your kindness. I know your leniency, therefore it is up to me to do the inevitable. I hereby resign as deputy headmistress.“

Still no tears. A creak of the door made her turn her head. It was Pendle. He lept on the table and sashayed on the table, slightly brushed the ink bottle, causing it to skip over and soak the paper.

„Oh you!“ Pendle looked startled as she tried to grab him roughly. But the cat was quicker, scratched her hand and fled the room. It was a deep scratch but it wasn’t the pain that caused her to cry. It was the feeling of complete and utter hopelessness and loneliness. Only after a few moments she came to the realisation that she had finally gathered the last ingredient. She completed the potion by adding a small branch of lavender, hoping the scent would turn out nicer. 

The clock stroke midnight when she walked to Ada’s rooms, a small vial in her hand.


	11. day 11

Hecate opened the door to Ada’s room. It was dimly lit by the ember glowing in the fireplace. Dimity was asleep in the chair next to Ada’s bed. Hecate put some new logs on the ember. The soft sounds and the increasing light woke Dimity.

„HB! You look dreadful.“

Indeed, Hecate looked nothing like her usual self. She had styled her hair without magic this morning, resulting in a much lower bun that by now began to dishevel. Not to speak of the sorrow that showed in her face. 

„I have made another potion.“ She held the bottle up for Dimity to see it.

Dimity nodded in understanding. „Do you want me to leave?“

„No, please stay.“

Dimity stood back from the bed as Hecate approached. Hecate sat down on the chair and took a deep breath. Then she gently moved the blankets from Ada’s face. She had dreamed of scenarios like this, but how she cursed the circumstances. The back of her hand lightly touched Ada’s cheek before opening the bottle. With a delicate movement she led the emerging vapour flow to Ada. Both Dimity and Hecate eyed Ada’s face, desperately searching for any sign of revival. Hecate now dared to take Ada’s hand, hoping she might detect a small movement. Finally Ada’s eyes fluttered open. Dimity gasped. Hecate let out a breath she had not known she was holding.

„Ada,“ her voice was soft and shaky „how do you feel?“

Ada tried a smile, but apparently was too weak. „Did you get the antidote?“ she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

„I did. Now get some rest, will you?“

Ada was already asleep, but her cheeks were rosier than before and her face more lively. Dimity put a hand on Hecate’s shoulder.

„You should get some rest as well. I’ll stay here.“

When Hecate was back in her chambers, she felt the tension falling from her. But it wasn’t relief she felt, only emptiness. Her decision to leave Cackle’s was made. She slipped out of her dress and curled up like a cat, sobbing uncontrollably until she was asleep.

A soft touch on her shoulder woke her up. Before she opened her eyes she recognized the scent of Ada’s perfume.

„You should rest, Ada,“ she said while opening her eyes. The sight that greeted her took her breath away. Ada looked fully recovered, eyes blue and smiling, and in one of those flowing dresses Hecate had secretly elected her favourite. It instantly made her suspicious, reminding her of the dream she had days ago.

„I slept enough these last days, Hecate. I feel marvellous and I came to thank you for that. Dimity told me what happened.“

„Then she might have told you it is not me you have to thank.“

Ada only shook her head, not willing to discuss the matter. Pointing to her novel on Hecate’s nightstand she asked: „I haven’t asked if you liked it. The heroine always reminded me of you.“

„I’m hardly a knight in shining armor, Ada. Quite the contrary,“ but Ada signaled her to hush.

„Come on, get dressed and we go for a little walk in the garden. You’re in need of fresh air.“

Hecate got dressed with a flick of her fingers and with another she tied her hair in her usual tight bun. Ada marvelled at her movements.

„I’m glad to see you back on track! Come on, let’s go.“

„Do you want me to transfer us?“

„I think the walking will do us both good,“ Ada replied. 

Secretly she hoped she could link arms with her while walking or at least accidently brush her arm. In the garden she sat on a bench and tapped on the spot beside herself. Hecate sat down primly, her back straight, hands crossed in her lap. She still reflected on how to tell Ada she’d given notice, but it was hard to think with Ada so close to her she could smell her perfume. Then, Ada began to speak. Her voice was earnest.

„I’ve been in your lab. I’ve seen your notice.“

Well, then this was settled, Hecate thought. She nodded, didn’t quite know what to say.

„I must say I’m quite relieved, Hecate.“

Hecate’s eyebrows rose. What did she expect, she should be grateful Ada didn’t try to convince her to stay. It would make it easier to go. But she couldn’t deny it hurt how easily Ada let her go. She looked up blinking away her tears. „I can leave before end of term if you want me to,“ she suggested.

„What do you mean?“

„You said you found my letter of resignation.“

„Your what? Tell me this is a joke!“

„I- I- what were you talking about?“

„Hecate, I found the list of ingredients of your potion!“

It dawned on Hecate that the letter of resignation was spoiled with ink and that Ada couldn’t have read it. Her eyes widened in shock and she suddenly didn’t know where to look.

„Don’t look like a rabbit in front of a snake, Hecate! You brought me back,“ Ada was beaming at her „with your love,“ she added.

Hecate blushed and ducked her head, still unsure what to say. „I- that was the least I could do after what I made you go through. Ada, I failed you miserably and I will never forgive myself…“

„Nonsense. You saved me, Hecate.“

„Without me, you wouldn’t have been in that situation.“

„Don’t worry yourself with these „what-if‘s“. It was my fault to go to Vesta uninvited. The thought of the possible aftereffects of the Eris‘ touch drove me crazy. And you know what tormented me most? I regretted that, whatever was about to happen, I never told you one thing.“ Ada looked down on their hands which were now lying next to each other on the wooden planks. She hesitated, bit her bottom lip, then lightly placed hers on Hecate’s. At the touch Hecate turned her head. Ada resumed her speech. „You know that I like you, don’t you? Over the years my feelings for you grew deeper. You became more than a friend to me. Far more. I had never hoped that you could return these feelings, but I couldn’t deny them either. I am very fond of you, Hecate, and I want you to know that I love you too.“

Hecate wasn’t prepared for this. Incredulously she looked at Ada who continued to speak. „When I woke up and you were the first thing I saw, with you hair wild, it was like a dream! You can’t imagine how much I missed you when you were in quarantine. Even though you were there, I missed your sight and your- your presence. Now say something, or I’ll be bubbling until the sun goes down!“

„Ada!“ It was all Hecate could utter before sinking in Ada’s arms. She rested her head on Ada’s shoulder, finally closing her in her arms, finally feeling the warmth of her body, finally being embraced in return. They sat like that for a while before Hecate was able to speak. „I would have perished without you, Ada. More than once. You were giving me hope and kept me alive. But when you needed me and I couldn’t leave, when I couldn’t return what you have done for me, I felt incapable.“

„Shhh, it’s over now.“ Ada gently cupped Hecate’s face, making her look at her. Hecate gazed down on these lips she had always wondered how they would feel like. Ada’s soft smile made her close her eyes and lean in, but she wasn’t prepared for the sensation of Ada’s lips on hers. Nothing could have prepared her for that tender yet most exciting feeling. They did only part eventually beause the bench proved to be quite unconfortable for the position they were in.

Hecate was beaming with joy, squeezing Ada’s hand- finally. Finally she was able to run her thumb over Ada’s knuckles, finally able to link them together. „I love you, Ada,“ she whispered.

„I suggest we transfer to my rooms and have a nice cup of tea, what do you think, my darling?“

„I think that sounds wonderful, Ada.“

And they both disappeared in thin air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it. Thank you for reading till the end, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and I hope you'll excuse the mistakes I made in the process (subtle foreshadowing? Never heard of her!). I want to keep this G rated, so I’ll end it here. But I plan on writing another story these next days that will complete it without adding to this story-arc.
> 
> Be assured that Ada will make sure Vesta gets rehabilitated (if you wondered what becomes of her)!

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, you made it till the end! Thank you for reading!!!  
> English is not my first language, so- sorry for my mistakes. I very much appreciate your comments though!
> 
> I plan to do more chapters if you are interested- this could become a nice slow burn ;-)


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